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Arkhosia
Arkhosia was the last great dragonborn empire in the Points of Light campaign setting. It fell centuries ago as a result of a war with the likewise dead empire of Bael Turath, the tiefling empire. Its culture still shapes the daily life of modern dragonborn. Background Arkhosia arose in the distant recesses of history, untold centuries before the rise of the human empire of Nerath. It grew from a confederacy of seven city-states united under the leadership of a single ancient dragon dubbed the Golden One. It expanded partly through conquest and partly through simple diplomatic outreach and trade. Many dragonborn city-states and even some tribes and nations of other races deemed it preferable to Iive within the secure borders of a powerful empire than to fend for themselves in the darkness outside Arkhosia's borders. The dragonborn created many airborne citadels to help oversee their territories. Among these the most important was Ustraternes. Arkhosia prospered for hundreds of years, taming the wilderness and expanding its trade and diplomatic missions to far-flung corners of the world. That constant drive toward expansion soon brought Arkhosia into conflict with the other imperial power of that distant era, the diabolic empire of Bael Turath with its tiefling noble caste. Bitter wars between the two empires spanned centuries and wrought terrible devastation upon the world. The strains of the war brought internal connicts to light within Arkhosia as well, partly manifested in the renewed strength of Tiamat's secretive cults. The fall of Arkhosia was as great as its accomplishments. Bael Turath fell under Arkhosia's relentless assault, but it took the dragonborn empire down with it. When neither side had the will or the resources to fight any longer, when the shouts and horns of battle were silenced at last, nothing remained of the two empires but scattered remnants of displaced populations and haunted ruins. The empire's glory was the glory of all dragonborn, but by extension its fall was their fall. As much as individual dragonborn seek to earn glory by their deeds. their efforts will never reach the heights of Arkhosia's renown, unless and until a new Golden One appears to rule over a restored draconic empire. Lore Religious life Bahamut was the most important deity in Arkhosia, and his tenets helped establish central principles for the empire. His faith rules alone in most dragonborn temples since the fall of Arkhosia. Imperial Arkhosian temples had (and still has) altars to Erathis, Ioun, and Kord. Some dragonborn blame the imperial temples for Arkhosia's fall, but devotees of these temples believe the three gods desire the dragonborn people to rebuild the empire, taming the wilderness and spreading civilization with their blessing. Tiamat’s worship was outlawed and forced into secrecy. Even today, temples dedicated to her are rare and secretive. Student of the Ninefold Path In ancient Arkhosia, a society of bards, wizards, and sorcerers called the Order of the Ninefold Path codified and propagated the arcane teachings of the dragonborn, a way toward both arcane mastery and spiritual awakening. The steps along the path represent an increasing attunement to the draconic energies in the initiate's being, a practice that unites the study of magic with the innate characteristics of the dragonborn race. The sages of this order lived as mendicants, owning nothing but the tomes they could carry and relying on the support and hospitality of the citizenry as they traveled from city to city. They traveled in pairs, one master and one student. As the student's knowledge grew to equal the master's, they would seek out new students in the cities they visited, thus passing on the secrets of the order. A few scattered masters of the Ninefold Path remain in the wake of Arkhosia's fall, but students willing to accept their tutelage are few and far between. Category:Points of Light